Week 30

Your baby this week

What does your baby look like?

Vernix and lanugo are beginning to fade away and his facial features are chubby and pouty. Over the coming week, the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding your baby will peak at around a pint and a half, the volume will then decrease over the next few weeks to about one pint until your baby is born.

Changes in your body this week

You are three quarters of the way through your pregnancy, and feeling your baby move should be becoming a regular occurrence. You can expect increased activity whenever you lie down or after eating. If your stretched skin is itchy, try soothing it with some fragrance-free moisturiser or wheatgerm oil. If the itching becomes severe, talk to your midwife as this could be a sign of ICP (intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy ).

Health concerns

There is always a risk of catching genital herpes whether you’re pregnant or not. But pregnancy is a time that calls for extra caution. If your baby is infected with the genital herpes virus at birth, then he may develop a rare condition known as neonatal herpes, which, in the worst case scenario, can lead to permanent damage of his brain, nervous system, and organs.

If you are infected with the virus before 28 weeks of pregnancy, your body should be able to fight it with antibodies. If you catch it after 28 weeks, however, your body won’t be able to make the antibodies in time to protect your baby. You will need to be referred to a GUM clinic, where the staff can help you treat the virus. It’s also likely your obstetrician will advise a caesarean birth so that your baby doesn’t come into direct contact with the virus while being born.

If you or your partner suffer from genital herpes, you will need to abstain from sex during outbreaks, and you must make sure your partner wears a condom during sex.

Are there any symptoms you should be looking out for?

You should be staying vigilant over the warning signs of pre-eclampsia, a condition causing high blood pressure, and potential harm to you and your unborn baby. Pre-eclampsia is far more common in the later stages of pregnancy. You will have regular blood pressure and urine tests at your antenatal appointments, which will help detect the condition if present, but you should still be mindful of the symptoms in case you develop it between appointments:

According to the NHS, the major warning signs of pre-eclampsia include:

• Swelling of your hands and feet
• Severe headaches
• Vision problems (blurring and flashing before your eyes)
• Pain below the ribs

Contact your doctor or midwife immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.

Safety first

Assuming a medical professional has not instructed you otherwise, it is safe to carry on driving throughout the third trimester of your pregnancy. However, long car journeys may be quite uncomfortable for you. If you do need to travel long distance in a car, make sure you have a few water bottles packed, along with some healthy snacks, and be prepared to make frequent toilet stops.

You also need to take care when travelling in the car to make sure you wear your seatbelt correctly and safely. Positioning the belt across your belly is not safe. This is because if you were to suddenly brake or be involved in a crash, the force of the belt against your tummy could cause damage to your uterus and baby. Instead, fasten your seatbelt so that the lap portion of the belt goes across your thighs and sits under your bump. Likewise, the diagonal portion should sit above your bump, not across it.

On a related note, if you do sustain any forceful jolt and then experience bleeding, abdominal pain, or contractions, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Important issues this week

In the final stretch, your baby’s need for nutrients is at its greatest. It’s important therefore that you try your best to stick to a well-balanced, healthy diet. Review our health articles for tips on healthy eating. Continue to drink lots of water, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, fibre, and low-fat protein. You need to consume an extra 200 calories a day, and vitamin K, C, and B1 are particularly important at this stage to help ensure you give birth to a healthy baby. Remember that it’s a lot safer to get your vitamins from food sources rather than supplements. If you want to take a supplement, clear it with your doctor first.

Keeping fit, staying healthy

If you regularly attend a pregnancy exercise class, remember to keep your instructor updated about any new symptoms you may be struggling with. The later stages in your pregnancy may cause you to feel very breathless (thanks to your expanding uterus putting pressure on your diaphragm), so it’s more important that you drop to an even gentler pace than you were doing in your first and second trimester.

It’s also important that you remain aware of your breathing while doing any activity. A good test to see if you are okay is to attempt a conversation with someone standing/walking/running/swimming next to you. If you’re having to gasp for air and are struggling to get any words out, then you are pushing yourself too hard.

If you feel severe breathlessness, feel faint, or experience chest pain while exercising, stop immediately and contact your doctor or midwife.

Looking forward; planning ahead

If you hope to give birth in a birthing pool, now would be a good time to start planning.

Research the benefits of having a water birth and its effects on the pain of labour. You also need to decide whether you’re going to have the water birth at home or in a hospital. You should discuss this with your midwife, who can help you decide. Keep in mind, though, that birthing pools will not be available at every hospital. Your midwife can check this for you.

It’s a good idea to discuss the pros and cons with your midwife. She will give you a better idea of whether it’s the right choice for you based on your individual circumstances. Some conditions may prevent a water birth from being an option, however.